We took a bit of a risk by choosing to include the term “Oracle” as part of our name. The last impression we wanted to give is that we are part of some form of ancient Greek polytheistic cult, with its priest and priestesses blathering indecipherable revelations and pronouncements. Alas, we are not the Oracles of Delphi, and if you were hoping we were, it’s time to click your mouse and surf on.

In today’s world, “Oracle” is an exciting and dynamic word with a broad array of meanings. It is a word used in computing, high-tech software and enterprise development, computational models and cryptographic proofs, novels, newsletters, comics, film and television, geographical locations (U.S., Australia, and Great Britain), shopping centers, sports arenas, music, rockets, aerial photography, and sailing syndicates, just to name a few.

What does “Oracle” mean to us? It refers to a highly experienced person who is willing to share that experience with others. We use it exclusively to refer to our select association of special authors. The dictionary broadly defines the term as a person who delivers authoritative, wise, or highly regarded communications. That is precisely the kind of person we look for to be one of our authors.

Take for example, Ana Parker Goodwin, a retired psychologist with decades of experience in her profession. Who better to write a rip-roaring murder/suspense thriller (Justice Forbidden) about a practicing psychologist who discovers one morning that she is being sued by one of her patients for implanting false memories of child abuse. She rushes to her office to review the file, only to trip over a dead body in the dark. The police think it is unrelated to the lawsuit and is nothing more than a coincidental domestic dispute, but then the mysterious stalker appears and the race is on. One reader said, “This novel starts out at eighty miles an hour and speeds up from there.” Ana Parker Goodwin is a “Living Oracle” that knows what she is talking about and is willing to share it. Every one of our authors is a Living Oracle. We couldn’t resist taking this concept into our name and we treat all of our authors that way.

Living Oracles publishes works in two genres that might confuse some readers. We often hear the question: "What is the difference between the Creative Non-fiction genre and that of Historical fiction?

The question is understandable. For most people, a book is either non-fiction or it's not. How is there any room in a work of non-fiction for the "creative"?

Let's start with the "Historical Fiction" genre because it is a simple concept to understand and a genre that many people love to read. While it is completely acceptable for the author to write a rip roaring good tale that is entirely fictional, the historical fiction writer goes farther, by choosing to play out the story in an accurate historical setting. To do this, they must research the social, economic, political, and geographic environment surrounding the time and place of the storyline. The fictional storyline of the book is consistent with the factual world as it existed in that time period. The fiction has an added jolt of gritty reality and also provides the reader with a better sense of life in that periodic setting. Readers get a taste of history, while reading a great tale.

This is similar to what the fantasy writer does when they engage in the art of "world building" for their stories. The entire world surrounding a well written fantasy must be meticulously researched and crafted by the author, and is internally consistent within the story. Similarly, the science fiction writer does the same thing. They research current scientific knowledge, principles, and inventions as they currently exist, then that knowledge is projected into the future (or the past). This sense of place gives the story a believable context .